Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On March 4th the House passed a motion requesting

that the government once again place the Public Housing Rental Subsidy Program under the control of the local housing organizations. I supported that motion and I am hoping that the departments hear our calls and act quickly to rectify this avoidable burden on our communities

Subsequent to our action, the Yellowknives Dene First Nation passed a band council resolution on March 9th adding weight that will hopefully help

expedite the government’s response to this issue. The Yellowknives Dene Band Council resolution tabled in the House yesterday reads: Whereas, the current delivery of the GNWT Education, Culture and Employment Public Housing Rent Subsidy Program creates administrative problems for the Yellowknives Dene First Nation housing division; And whereas, the requirement of travelling to Yellowknife every month to assess rents under this PHRS Program places a burden on the Yellowknives Dene First Nation members; And whereas, the involvement of ECE has weakened the relationship between the Yellowknives Dene First Nation housing division and tenants; And whereas, rent assessments were more timely and accurate when they were performed by the Yellowknives Dene First Nation housing division; Therefore, be it resolved that ECE revert to the old system where the Yellowknives Dene First Nation local housing authority assesses the band member’s monthly income to determine rent.

Mr. Speaker, forcing people to travel from Dettah and Ndilo to downtown Yellowknife to deal with their monthly housing bills is wasting people’s time and energy. Furthermore, it is forcing people who are not on income support to visit the income support office, which can be uncomfortable and cause further undue stress. It is hardly the one-stop shopping approach that the government refers to and that these communities used to enjoy for the housing needs.

Mr. Speaker, let’s show our people that we have heard them and implement the obvious solution to this problem as soon as possible. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to speak about the $50 million that we received from the federal government in regard to housing in the Northwest Territories which has to be expended over the next two years.

Mr. Speaker, this is a perfect opportunity for this government to take concerns raised in this House from groups such as Persons with Disabilities, the Seniors’ Society of the Northwest Territories and also from our communities in regard to finding ways to have barrier-free housing built in our communities to assist people with disabilities, people that are in wheelchairs, the aging population in our communities, but, more importantly, Mr. Speaker, to ensure that we basically have the infrastructure in our communities.

Mr. Speaker, it has been some time since this government has put in seniors housing in our communities and I’ve heard my colleague in regard to the situation in Holman Island, I’ve heard the same thing in regard to the Joe Greenland Centre in Aklavik and finding ways to replace these facilities, and also find facilities for the communities.

Mr. Speaker, the government has already implemented seniors’ housing in communities in regard to Dettah, Ndilo, Fort McPherson, other communities which already have a blueprint on the drawing board where they own the blueprint, they have built these facilities already, so there’s no need to go back to the drawing board. We have two years to expend this money and I’d like to recommend to the government that they consider putting seniors care facilities in our communities and also have barrier-free houses built for people with disabilities in our communities.

I think it’s a totally perfect opportunity for this government to do what I’ve stated, because we have seniors in our social housing system who have gotten themselves into a situation where there’s no one there taking care of them. There’s no family members allowed to live with them because there is a burden on that senior when it comes to assessing rent. I think we have to get away from that. We have to develop seniors facilities where there is safe, secure housing for seniors, and have a system where we have caretakers in those units.

We need to have a system where it’s located on one side of town rather than seniors spread out all over the community. That’s the type of care the seniors are asking for and the type of housing I’d like this government to seriously consider with the $50 million we have to spend over the next two years.

With that, I will be asking the Minister of Housing if that can be part of the priorities put forward in spending this $50 million.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Michael McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and acknowledge one of my constituents, Ms. Irene Lafferty of Fort Providence. Irene is one of the client service officers for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and she began her career with the Government of the Northwest Territories in 1974 as a field service clerk. After 35 years of public service she has decided to retire.

Irene has held many different job titles with our government over the years. Too many for us to count, she tells me. I’ve had the opportunity to work with her for several years and certainly attest to her dedication to her job and her positive work ethics, she has demonstrated to others throughout her career.

This Friday we will take the time to celebrate with her friends and family in Fort Providence. She then plans to take some time to do some travelling and she also tells me she’s planning to do a whole lot of relaxing.

I’d like to take this opportunity to invite my colleagues in this House in expressing our sincere appreciation of Irene’s dedication and commitment to public service. I would like to wish her all the best in her well deserved retirement.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bob McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to speak about Sharon and Shirley Firth, both long-time Olympic athletes, and what they have strived to do since their days as Olympic athletes.

Both are role models. Both are visionary. Both strive to promote and encourage healthy lifestyles and community wellness, particularly among youth. They have both visited every school in the Northwest Territories promoting excellence in both body and mind, with persistence and dedication to the empowerment of youth. I know they will carry this passion on for generations to come. Both strive to build self-confidence, teach teamwork, build character, teach focus, and encourage the youth to set goals, dream big, and to be the best they can be.

Through role model tours they have also brought cross-country skiing to every school in the Northwest Territories and taught the youth cross-country skiing. Both are great ambassadors for the Northwest Territories. Both have always promoted the Northwest Territories and continue to put the Northwest Territories on the map, so to speak.

Some of their major accomplishments include the role model tour, as I mentioned, to all 33 communities; they were inducted into the Banff Sports Hall of Fame in 2008; I think Sharon was a presenter at the APTN Aboriginal Country Music Awards in 2008; they participated with Governor General Michaelle Jean at the Inuvik Youth Forum in 2008; and on the national stage both are recipients of Aboriginal Achievement Awards -- I believe Sharon received it in 2005 and Shirley in 2006.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bob McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize Shirley and Sharon Firth.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.

I’d like to recognize Todd Parsons, president of the UNW and a constituent of the Great Slave riding.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

I, as well, would like to recognize a constituent from Thebacha, Mr. Brad Brake.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. I would like to welcome everyone in the gallery

today. I hope you’re enjoying the proceedings. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just so that Barb doesn’t feel left out, I just want to recognize Barb Wyness from UNW.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement with regard to Suicide Prevention Strategy in the NWT. I know that in its efforts to quit smoking they undertook this whole quit smoking hotline, but far before that I believe we should have had a suicide hotline. I’d like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services if the Department of Health and Social Services has a current NWT Suicide Prevention Strategy.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to advise the Member that the department does invest a substantial amount of money in this area other than the regular core funding that we provide on mental health and wellness. We spend about a million dollars a year on suicide prevention and part of that funding goes to NWT Mental Health Association, who administers a NWT Help Line where anyone who is in distress or needs someone to talk to can call any day from anywhere in the Territories between 7:00 to 9:00, I believe, every evening.

I’m given to take that is the current status of the NWT Suicide Prevention Strategy? That Health and Social Services is not involved, but it’s more of a devolved program into the different mental health centres that are out there? What is the current status of the NWT Suicide Prevention Strategy?

I should correct that; the NWT Help Line is open between 7:00 to 11:00.

We do have a Suicide Prevention Strategy much like the Member described in his Member’s statement. We fund a lot of community groups to work on suicide prevention. We do capacity building. We have provided training to about 20 individuals across the NWT so that they can

strengthen their skills to work with the groups and youth to talk about the issue of suicide prevention.

When there were some teenage suicides last year, that was highly publicized. There were youth that were provided support to have discussion among youth. We do continue to fund the Dreamcatchers Conference. We get funding through the National Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy.

So there is multifaceted programming that’s working with the groups in the communities, especially in the youth suicide prevention.

I’m glad that the resources are there within the Department of Health and Social Services to work towards the prevention of suicide. I’m raising this issue because I don’t see it advertised or promoted out there. And if I don’t see it, do the members of the public see it? So once again, could the Minister of Health and Social Services tell me what initiatives and actions the Department of Health and Social Services currently undertakes to support suicide prevention?

I think the Member is correct in thinking that it would be helpful for the department to be able to promote more of the activities that are going on. Sometimes you’re busy doing your job and not necessarily promoting. I’ll just assure the Member that we have what’s called a steering committee made up of various departments -- Education, Health and Social Services, NGOs, community groups -- who work on the strategy implementation, helping the communities, as well as publicizing and making the public more aware. I will follow up on that to make sure that people are more aware of what is available.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.